Captain Charles Forrester's New Destiny
by C5SysEngFTS
Summary: What ever happens to the Guard Captain? I am so sorry for the lengthy delay. Hope you enjoy this installment! This is my attempt to answer this question and is a companion to two of my favorite stories; the Rapunzel Goes Home franchise. Please read, enjoy and review!
1. The Revelation Exposed

Captain Charles Forrester's New Destiny

**Chapter One: The Revelation Exposed**

**A/N #1: This is a companion to the wonderful stories: "**_**Rapunzel Goes Home" (.net/s/6908336/1/Rapunzel_Goes_Home); and,**_

"_**Rapunzel Goes Home; The Extended Version**_**" (.net/s/7485250/1/Rapunzel_Goes_Home_extended_edition)," **

**authored by bStormhands; and is written with his approval.**

**A/N#2: I strongly encourage you to read (and please review) his stories as they are wonderful tomes describing the events from the tower (and slightly before) to the party and after.**

**A/N #3: This multi-chapter one-shot describes what happens to the Guard Captain after meeting the king and Eugene after returning from his escort assignment.**

The guard captain, the proud Charles Forrester, as ordered by his king, reluctantly sheathed his sword, perplexed that his highness would allow the thief of the century free rein within the palace, let alone the kingdom. He was further shocked at his next words; words that would leave him wondering if the world had turned upside down.

"Charles, please go see Mortimer. I am sure he will be more than happy to fill you in on the amazing events of the past few days. I am sure you will find the tale captivating, yet so improbable as to seem completely unlikely. Yet, here we are."

"Of course, sire." Charles respectfully replied, still quite unsure of himself.

Quite satisfied that all was under control and that Charles would soon learn the whole amazing tale from Mortimer, the king finished by stating. "Come along, Eugene. We have people you must meet as the Prince Consort to be."

"Eugene? Prince Consort to be?" Charles asked himself not quite so softly or calmly, yet, fortunately for him, out of earshot of either the King or Eugene.

Palace staffers, lucky enough to be near enough to have heard Charles' initial outburst as he sought to capture the notorious Flynn Rider, found themselves front row to the most amazing melt down in the history of Corona or the neighboring kingdoms or principalities; or so they thought.

The one constant in the entire Royal Kingdom of Corona was the inability of the palace or village grapevine to ever get the story straight. As such, it soon became plainly clear that only a handful of people knew the entire story and that it would require much work to set the record straight and to give the Captain his just due. In the meantime, the palace grapevine would work over time, denigrating the man who had served the realm so faithfully.

A plethora of words could be used to describe the proud Charles Forrester. Many, those who had had stolen goods quickly returned to them, would say he was among the bravest of the brave members of the Royal Palace Guard, with efficiency second to none. Others, holding him in a slightly lesser light, might call him arrogant. Still others, holding him in even lesser light, would readily and quite eagerly assign the epithet pigheaded or other such less flattering alternatives to stubborn and egotistical. There was, however, one word that no one would assign to the impassive and stoic Charles Forrester; perplexed, for he never gave cause to think that he could ever be so unsettled as to lose his proud bearing completely. Yet, that is the word those palace attendants lucky enough to encounter him, used in the days following, to describe among themselves the apparent and very public meltdown of the once proud Guard Captain in the aftermath of perhaps the darkest days of his life.

_**The Morning of the Theft of the Tiara of the Lost Princess…**_

_**There was a lot going on right now, and he desperately wanted and needed to find Rider and recover what had been taken. The man had gone from significant nuisance to Corona's most wanted criminal in a matter of days, if not hours. The Captain generally didn't have to deal with thieves as he had many capable Sergeants and Corporals to handle such mundane incidents, but stealing the Crown of the Lost Princess from right under the noses of his guards had been too much. **_

_**The beautifully decorated room; a celebration of their lost daughter devoid of all but a simple yet elegant pedestal in the exact center of the room; the Royal Pedestal in the center of the room, empty; the very pedestal the once proud display for the tiara of the Lost Princess. The enraged yet quite saddened King; kneeling in front of the empty pedestal, a few quiet tears running into his beard. The inconsequential wave of the King's hand; as if he regretted promoting him to the Captaincy, as he had apologized for his lack of foresight. He had never felt more a failure in his entire life. He would have rather have the King run him through with his own sword then disappoint him ever again.**_

_**He had personally led the chase, and he had almost got him when Rider had knocked him off Maximus and disappeared. He had been so close to capturing him yet again, at the dam, when a lucky strike to the side of the head again caused him to lose sight of his quarry. Later, when the Guard troop reported his capture at the pier, his joy at finally being able to see justice served was tempered not only by the report of him being tied to the very boat he was captured in, but also by the sudden blackness that enveloped him just as he was about to reach the gallows. As he came to, he was shocked to see the prison under attack by thugs and ruffians, and quite nervous at their apparent and quite voluntary sacrifice of freedom to set free Rider; the question of why they would willingly make such a sacrifice plainly etched into his proud features.**_

_**The present…**_

The palace attendants, having heard the outburst and recognizing the voice, rapidly glanced into the very hallway where Charles had first seen and sought to confront Flynn. The sight they saw was one to behold. Charles, quickly briefing the King on his successful mission to rid Corona of the ever troublesome Stabbington Brothers once and for all, and ever eager to continue his search for the ever elusive Flynn Rider was shocked and awed to see the very target of his quest benignly coming out of the King's private office where he had just completed the successful first test of his worth to be Prince Consort. The test Eugene easily passed as his once greedy eyes now only saw the beauty of the Crown Princess; all other valuable devalued to nothingness in comparison to the emerald green eyed brunette who had done what was once thought impossible; steal the heart of the once infamous Flynn Rider. His shock doubling when, as he was about to finally succeed in his quest, he was told the most amazing tale of the man standing before him; that he was no longer Flynn Rider, he having died to save a Princess and reborn from the power of the sun as his original self: Eugene Fitzherbert. The man who earned the right to the hand of the very Princess he selflessly sacrificed himself for.

"Eugene?" Charles repeated to no one in particular, yet to everyone within earshot in general. "That man is Flynn Rider, for crying out loud!"

As he stood there, totally unaware of the audience his meltdown was generating, Charles began to slowly attempt to figure things out, not willing to simply meet with Mortimer and let him set things straight. Thus, Charles started to vocalize his confusion, to the amusement of all present.

"Eugene is Rider?" Charles began, completely uncertain of himself.

"No! It is Flynn is Fitzherbert! Yes?"

"No! That is not it, either!" He exclaimed, banging his head against the wall, his finely shined helmet unceremoniously crashing to the floor; the clattering of it bouncing several feet from him drawing unwanted attention.

"Oh, yes; I have it! Flynn Rider is really Eugene Fitzherbert!" He quite confusedly exclaimed as he walked along the maze of palace hallways and corridors, totally unsure of what he had even said. Though, in his defense, and unknown to all but one of the palace staff, he had had quite the last few days; going through more for his kingdom in two days than most would in a year or more. First; as he was about to nab his quarry the first time, a sudden boot to his side knocked him off of Maximus and into a tree. Second; as he was yet again about to nab Flynn, at the dam, for the second time in one day; a frying pan to the head knocked him into next week. Finally, as he was finally about to see justice served, he yet again found himself on the ground looking up, his entire head aching as it never had before.

Among those watching the meltdown was Doctor Cornelius, the Royal Physician; a sad look gracing his weathered features. As he watched the poor Guard Captain struggle with a new reality; the doctor sadly noted the confusion easily discernible on his one proud facial features. He quickly realized that Charles most probably was suffering from the aftermath of at least one and possibly two or more severe concussions. It was plainly obvious that he would need to meet with the King immediately to ensure Charles was given a long and most well deserved vacation. The doctor ordered absence of Charles from the palace for a period of several weeks sure to give the good doctor time to repair the damage; with help, of course.

He most assuredly noted that he most definitely needed to find Penelope, Gossiper Extraordinaire. As the most capable hairdresser to serve both the royal family and nobles as well as having great connections within the palace kitchen staff, the doctor knew instinctively that she was the one to save the day. Only she could undo the damage to Charles' reputation, indeed; he was quite sure that she would be most instrumental in ensuring the Captain's continued high standing in the Kingdom. Greatly cheered to have a plan of action, the doctor quickly made his way to the Royal Hairdresser's office within the Royal Compound.

Unaware of the Doctors observations or the damage to his reputation, Charles continued his rambling as he made his way to the office of Mortimer, right hand man to the King. Upon reaching the door, he paused for a minute, gathering his thoughts and unsuccessfully willed his headache away before proudly and firmly knocking on the ornately decorated door of the Seneschal.

"Come in Captain," Mortimer responded, a cheerful tone reflecting in his voice that Charles at not heard for a very long time.

Surprised by his forethought, Charles paused briefly prior to firmly opening the door and striding in, his confidence returning.

"Good afternoon Mortimer." Charles cheerfully greeted the king's right hand man; the man responsible for the smooth operation of the entire royal staff.

"Ah, a very good afternoon to you Captain," Mortimer replied, his eyes never brighter, his smile ever larger; continuing with, "I am sure you are here to discuss the events of the last few days? Yes?"

The captain was taken aback by this omniscience on Mortimer's part, not realizing that the king would have surely informed him of the captain's need, paused briefly before nodding in the affirmative.

"Well, Charles, it is a most wonderful series of events. Events that one would have never believed had they not witnessed them firsthand; I myself at first amazed at its improbability." Mortimer began; his happiness of the last several days still so evident in his eyes.

"How does Rider fit into all this?" Charles asked, interrupting, not willing to believe that anyone could change that quickly.

"Well, that is the crux of the matter. Isn't it, Charles?" Mortimer asked in reply to his question.

The captain nodded his affirmation of this, prompting the seneschal to continue.

"Well, let see;" Mortimer began, "I guess you need to know of the events as they occurred from the time Rider, now Eugene Fitzherbert, found the lost princess; to his capture at the pier?"

"Yes;" Charles replied, prompting more from the seneschal.

"Then, you need to know what happened after he escaped your custody until you met him, just now." He finished.

"Very good, Mortimer." Charles replied. "So, what did happen?"


	2. The Revelation Explained, Part 1

**Chapter Two: The Revelation Explained (Part One)**

**A/N: Sorry for the delayed posting. I got Tangled Up in my other stories. My part time beta-reader and MUSE, and full time friend, bStormhands, thought it might be beneficial to take a rest from one story and get to work on this one. I fully agree as I feel many ideas for this story have been slowly fomenting in my brain the last few weeks. Plus, I just got the most wonderful of all grades on my first MBA course; an "A!" So in celebration, here we are…**

**A/N #2: In the previous chapter the proud, yet hot-headed, Captain of the Royal Guard learns the devastating news that the once Coronian Public Enemy Number One was now the soon to be announced Prince Consort. He is discussing with the Seneschal the unbelievable story of Rapunzel's return. How would he react to the news?**

"So, Mortimer, what did happen?" The perplexed Charles Forrester asked, lightly rubbing the side of his head with his free right hand.

Mortimer, serenely rising from his desk in the middle of the ornately decorated office, gestured for the troubled and injured Guard Captain to follow him out onto his personal balcony; one that would ensure their partial privacy as well as providing a modicum of relief from the mid-afternoon heat of the day slowly baking its way through the massive masonry of the palace.

"Let's see. I guess I should begin with his first fight with Maximus. You see, um, the first fight between the two of them occurred soon after you were thrown from your trusty steed."

"Flynn Rider's first fight with Maximus; you mean there was more than one?" Charles hopelessly asked, becoming even more baffled by the events of the last week and wondering if his first impression of the world turned upside down was, in fact, way too conservative and that the world was indeed about to end.

"Yes, Charles, his first fight with Maximus. And, yes; there were more than one. In fact, and this is probably material to the story, there were three, though the final 'fight' was anti-climatic as it was ended by the two of them agreeing to a truce at the behest of the birthday girl, her highness Rapunzel. The truce actually leads to perhaps the most miraculous event in this wondrous story. Anyway, I know it is quite the improbable story that you will have trouble believing at first, but after you were knocked off your mount by the then Flynn Rider, he unsuccessfully attempted to use your mount to make his getaway out of the kingdom."

"He what!" Charles exclaimed, the loudness of his own voice causing him to wince at the pain it caused, continuing with, "Oh, my aching head!"

"As I said," Mortimer kindly replied as he handed Charles an herbal tea concocted by the kitchen staff in concert with Dr. Cornelius and sure to provide relief to his headache as it had proved so helpful to himself, "the then Flynn Rider, having left the Stabbington Brothers to face the gauntlet of the Royal Guard soldiers, the tiara of the Lost Princess safely tucked away in his satchel, quickly took off, with you and your guards in full pursuit. You were about to apprehend him when he suddenly came back around using a vine to swing by and knocked you off your horse."

"Don't remind me!" Charles replied, glancing at his significantly scarred helmet still held in his left hand as he gently rubbed the side of his head, remembering quite vividly the sight of the tree rapidly coming up to meet him as he smacked his ornately decorated and highly polished helmet against one of the lower branches, its initial impact serving to break his fall so that he was not more seriously injured. "What happened next?"

"Well…," Mortimer began, unsure of the proper tact.

"Yes…?" Charles prompted.

Mortimer hesitated a moment, before continuing. "It would seem, and I have only one side of the story, mind you, that the loyal and quite determined Maximus took up the chase for you as he came to a sudden stop and flung Flynn off of his back as he noticed that you were no longer his rider."

"He what?!" Charles blurted out, instantly regretting it as another shot of pain surged through his head. "Oh, my poor aching head!"

"Maximus, your loyal steed, abruptly stopped, knocking the then Flynn Rider off the saddle, before then taking up the chase himself. This is perhaps the most remarkable part of the story as it ultimately sets the stage for the rest. The two struggled for the satchel containing the Lost Princess' tiara, with Eugene ultimately both winning the struggle and successfully eluding, for the moment, Maximus. As he continued in his attempt to safely leave the kingdom, he found a vine covered entrance and somehow ended up in a hidden valley; a valley not even one days ride, two days walk from the capital city."

"And? What is the big deal about a hidden valley?" Charles impatiently asked, trying, between bouts of severe pain, to get Mortimer to make the long story shorter so he could get some rest.

"It is here, in this valley, that the then Flynn Rider found the tower."

"Tower? What tower? What is the big deal about some tower?" Charles asked, his confusion and agony quite obvious.

"The tower; the seemingly insignificant tower, located in a very cozy valley, that contained a very bored seventeen, soon to be eighteen year old, girl; the very girl waiting for her life to truly begin."

"The Lost Princess? She was held captive this close to our kingdom? Really?" Charles blurted out, at first appalled that she was held so close and yet so far, and unavoidably warming up to what was obviously to be the most amazing story.

"Yes. Our Crown Princess, spent the first eighteen years of her life not even a swallow's flight away from us. So close, that she saw the lanterns, yet so far that she was wary to answering their call. I will now tell of the amazing events after."

Charles, despite being the impatient hothead that he was on the best of days, took a moment to reflect on what Mortimer had said so far. His silence actually stunned Mortimer for just a moment. He then stood up for a moment, and rubbing both the back of his neck and both his temples, and gestured for Mortimer to continue. Charles, taking his seat again after moving it slightly to get it out of the sun and into the shade, calmly stated. "Please, continue."

Mortimer, seeing Charles sitting back down and attentively watching and lightly rubbing the back of his head, continued the story…

"You see, Charles, Flynn thought he had finally rid himself of all potential pursuers and could wait for night fall to successfully escape the kingdom…"

"_**Thank God for small favors. I truly thought I would never be rid of that devil horse and its egotistical owner." Thought Flynn as he entered the small, well hidden valley, unaware of what he was about to discover or the adventure on which he was about to commence.**_

"_**What a strange opening. You would almost think these vines were cultivated here intentionally as a way of hiding something…" Flynn thought to himself, his stealthy thief reflexes and skills quickly analyzing this unusual cave; a cave that had a bright light at the far end…**_

_**Flynn cautiously moved forward through the short cavern and into the brightly lit valley and moved cautiously away from the small vine covered opening. As he walked forward, he was shocked by the most unusual of sights. Sited in the middle of the small valley; a valley that measured about five hundred feet wide by about a mile and a half long with a glorious waterfall in the distance; stood a most unusual structure. As Flynn took in the full sight of this house, he was quite amazed. Standing before him was an unusual round house. What is unusual about a round house, you ask? Nothing, perhaps, except that this very house happened to be located on top of a seventy foot tall cylindrical stone structure. As Flynn continued to analyze this structure, it became apparent that it seemed to be built as a fortress of some sort as it had no visible means of ground level entry. It also appeared to be deserted as he could not make out any movement from within that part of the building visible through the window from ground level.**_

"_**Well, if there is no ground level door, I guess I'll put these two arrows to work and use the alternate entrance." Flynn thought to himself with a grin as he took the two broken arrows out of his satchel and used them to start, and not too quietly at that, scaling the wall, a small square shaped window on the side of the building facing him his destination.**_

_**As he started his climb, the noise of his ascent soon startled the lone occupant of the tower, a very bored 17-year old girl; the girl, a chameleon named Pascal as her only friend, whose birthday was the very next day. She quickly hid in the shadows of the main living area, frying pan safely in her grasp as she wondered who it could be that had finally found what she thought was her safe haven from the evils of the world around her.**_

"_**Who could it be? Why climb up to what is an apparently deserted building?" Rapunzel thought with fear and trepidation as she heard the sounds growing ever closer.**_

_**Her well founded fears were realized as she saw the brown haired young man climb through the window, glance back as if he was checking to see that he had not been pursued, and then pausing as he took his prize out and gazed at it.**_

"_**Oh, no!" It is an evil man, or is he?! Does he have pointy teeth? I cannot tell from here. But, what a pretty thing he has. I wonder what it could be." Rapunzel nervously thought to herself as she soon took in the sight of a brown haired man entering through the very window Mother Gothel had just departed through. She continued to watch with growing trepidation as he looked first to see that he was not being pursued and, with his back to her, then focused entirely on the shiny object he pulled from his satchel as he admired the workmanship of the tiara of the Lost Princess. She stealthily moved forward, Flynn never the wiser as he was fully engrossed in admiration for his latest heist, got ever closer, raised the frying pan in both hands, and brought it down fiercely onto the back of the head of the unsuspecting Flynn Rider.**_

"_**CLANG!"**_

Mortimer, grinning at the memory of the first time he heard this most remarkable tale, continued. "Not knowing what to do as Mother Gothel, her kidnapper, had never really expected anyone to find their hideaway nor wanting to do anything to empower her flower, she did the next best thing and whacked him upside the head with her trusty frying pan. Iron skillet met flesh and blood and prevailed."

"Her flower?" Charles asked, more than slightly confused.

"Well, it would be better for me to explain that part of the story later. For now, just know that our Princess Rapunzel whacked Flynn Rider upside the head with her frying pan."

"She did what?!" Charles shouted out, all the while holding his head as another bout of severe pain surged through.

"She knocked the infamous Flynn Rider out with one smack upside the head with her iron skillet."

_**The notorious Flynn Rider, now lying unmoving on the floor of the Tower's main living area, provided the ever curious Rapunzel an opportunity to examine what she had been taught to be evil…**_

"If she only knew…" Charles muttered to himself, the agony of both his headache and the fact that a spunky 17 year old girl had done what he had dreamed and yearned so long to do.

"What?" Mortimer asked, distracted by the captain's meaningless utterance.

"It is just that she did in less than a minute what I had been unable to accomplish in over 10 years!"

"Does this bother you, Charles?" Mortimer asked, fully knowing how exasperating it was to the proud captain that he had not only been unable to catch him for so long but that also he had managed to steal the Lost Princess' Tiara from right under the noses of the entire Palace Royal Guard.

"Shouldn't it?" Charles replied with a definite tone of indignation, as if any other possibility was even remotely possible.

To Charles' surprise, Mortimer began laughing. At what? He could not deduce.

"What is so funny?" Charles asked with a definite tone of exasperation as he sought to try to figure out why Mortimer was finding his failure to capture the infamous Flynn Rider the funniest thing to have happened in the last twenty years.

"I'm sorry." Mortimer replied, not that he sounded very sorry from his tone, thought poor Charles.

"Thank you." Charles replied, the same tone

"My pleasure. It is just that you have to realize, that your failure to capture Flynn had more to do with his amazing ability to sense everything going on around him and that Rapunzel got through that exceptional 'sixth' sense of his because he was not expecting the tower to be occupied."

"WELL; that doesn't make me feel much better!" Charles spat out with utter contempt, before grabbing his head once again and letting out a huge moan that brought Mortimer over with yet another helping of the special herbal tea provided by Dr. Cornelius previously to aid his own occasional migraine headaches.

Mortimer; seeing the captain in definite pain, decided to send his assistant to find the doctor and see if there was more that could be done as it was becoming very obvious that there was more wrong with the captain than a simple headache. In the meantime, he would escort the poor Captain out of the Palace and into a cooler and slightly more private setting along the shore…

**A/N #3: Please review! THANK YOU! **


	3. The Revelation Explained, Part 2

**Chapter Three: The Revelation Explained (Part Two)**

**A/N #1: In the previous chapters the proud, yet hot-headed, Captain of the Royal Guard learns the devastating news that the once Coronian Public Enemy Number One was now the soon to be announced Prince Consort. How would he react to the news as the entire incredible story is revealed to him?**

"SHE WHAT!?" Charles questioningly exclaimed, trying to not laugh as it intensified his pain, as Mortimer reached the point in his tale of Rapunzel's and Eugene's first meeting.

"She hit him with her frying pan, knocking him out." Mortimer replied.

"At least I am not the only one to suffer multiple hits to the head…" Charles began, his voice fading to nothingness as he was struck with yet another wave of intense pain and sensitivity to light.

"No. You are not. Eugene also suffered several blows to the head during his initial meeting with her highness, Rapunzel." Mortimer confirmed as he too took the time to adjust his chair and small table to take advantage of the shade as it followed the movement of the sun across the sky.

_**Flynn Rider, safely knocked unconscious, soon became the focal point of Rapunzel's intense interest. As she took in the sight of the unconscious bandit Flynn, she used her skillet to move the mop of hair so that she could gaze into the face of the first, what was it Mother called them? Oh, yes. A man. So this is a man. Rapunzel carefully moved the mop of hair covering his face and closely studied him.**_

"_**He doesn't look too scary…" Rapunzel thought to herself as she took in his handsomeness.**_

_**She then proceeded to use the handle of her frying pan to check out his teeth.**_

"_**Wow. He doesn't have pointy teeth, either. His teeth look kind of normal, like mine and mother's. I know! I will get him to escort me to see the lanterns and see me safely home!"**_

"You see, Charles, she had been taught by her kidnapper to see all men as evil doers with pointy teeth who only wanted her for her hair. Her fear led her to see him as a threat and she acted accordingly to protect that she had been taught to believe was sacred; her hair."

"Her hair? What is so special about her hair? She looks like a typical brunette with hair that looks just like that of her mother, although much shorter and roughly cut."

"Yes. That is true; now, that is."

"Now?" Charles asked; the surprise in his voice quite evident.

"Yes. If you remember, she was born with an amazing golden hair that shone just like the sun."

"Now that you mention that, I do seem to remember that. I presumed that it just darkened as she aged. I mean my children's hair also darkened as they have grown into the rambunctious teenagers that they are today." Charles thought as his mind drifted back over eighteen years previous.

"You see, Charles, this golden hair, that retained its original coloring, had magical properties. These properties, however, only existed in those strands of hair that were left uncut."

"Uncut?"

"Yes. You see, if the hair was cut, it would turn back into a brunette shade similar to that of her mother's."

"Are you saying what I think you are saying? Are you saying that her hair had remained uncut for 18 years?" Charles asked, quite surprised by this revelation and his mind suddenly transporting back in time to just a few days previous.

"What do you mean?" Mortimer asked, surprised at the tone of Charles question. It seemed as if something suddenly quite obvious had just occurred.

"At the Dam!"

"Ah, yes." Mortimer stated with a slight chuckle as he recalled the story told to him by Rapunzel and Eugene.

"The girl with the incredibly long blond hair in the company of the bandit Flynn Rider was Rapunzel? You mean she was the…"

"…crown princess? Yes. She indeed was the crown princess that you encountered with he that you believed to be the infamous Flynn Rider. But rather than me tell you; let's go to those who so ably helped her as she continued on her quest that led you to meet at the dam."

"I am to meet the thugs who broke Flynn out of my jail as I was about to carry out his sentence?" Charles asked, astounded.

"Why yes." Mortimer replied as he rose to lead Charles in search of the thugs.

"This is why they are free now?" Charles asked as they walked away from Mortimer's office and towards the Royal Conservatory where they could hear the beautiful strains of Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata as they wafted down the long corridor towards them.

"Yes. And, truth be told, they have the royal jubilee to thank for their permanent freedom. You see, Charles, they selflessly gave up their freedom for a man they did not like, on the word of a horse." Mortimer said as he continued to lead Charles towards the conservatory.

"They helped a man they did not like; on the word of a horse? What horse? How is that possible? Why?" Charles asked, perplexed that anyone would help someone as selfish and uncaring as Flynn Rider.

"Because Flynn Rider, or should I say the slowly emerging Eugene Fitzherbert, who had fallen in love with Rapunzel by this time, was the only one who knew where she was and that she was in danger."

"Danger?!"

"Yes. But, let's not get ahead of ourselves. Ok?"

"Agreed."

The beautiful strains of Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata grew ever louder as they neared the Royal Conservatory with its beautiful grand piano. Charles noted, as they neared, that it had never sounded as wonderful as it did at this moment. Curious to whom the wonderful pianist was, he accelerated his step and soon reached the double doors leading into the room.

"Please wait a moment." Mortimer stated as Charles reached for the door handle.

"Of course; but why?"

"It is just that I want to ensure that you are fully prepared for what you are about to see."

"Is it that shocking, Mortimer?"

"To you, as a professional soldier; yes, indeed it is."

"Ok, Mortimer." Charles sighed as he awaited the signal to enter…

**A/N #2: Please review! THANK YOU! **


	4. The Dream, According to Hook Hand

**Chapter Four: The Dream, According to HookHand.**

**A/N: I feel so, so, so bad! I left this story on the "bookshelf" of my computer's hard drive for far too long. I have no excuse, except work, work, work; and, school, school, school! Hope you enjoy this latest installment1**

**A/N #2: In the previous chapters the proud, yet hot-headed, Captain of the Royal Guard learns the devastating news that the once Coronian Public Enemy Number One was now the soon to be announced Prince Consort. How would he react to the news as the entire incredible story is revealed to him?**

**A/N #3: Lyrics for **_**"I've Got a Dream"**_** courtesy of: read/t/tangled-lyrics/i_ **

Charles somewhat patiently stood before the ornately decorated double doors leading into the Royal Conservatory. He was unavoidably mesmerized by the beautiful sounds of the Adagio sostenuto as they wafted into the hallway. Mortimer found himself grinning as he clandestinely observed Charles' harsh exterior softening as the first movement ended and the Allegretto began.

"What a wonderful pianist." Charles softly said as he listened to the wonderful strains of the second movement.

"I could not agree more." Mortimer replied.

"Where did you find him?" Charles asked.

"Well…" Mortimer began; stopping as he heard the second movement end and the Presto agitato begin.

"Yes…?"

"Let's wait for him to finish and then we can enter and you will have all your answers. Ok?"

"I guess it will not hurt…"

The music soon came to an end, and as Charles listened to the soft and polite applause he slowly reached for the door handle. As he opened the door, Mortimer could not help but chuckle as Charles took in the sight of the pianist.

"But, but, but…" Charles stuttered as he stepped into the conservatory and took in the sight of a fearsome looking Hook Hand.

"Who would know, right?" Mortimer asked, trying and failing not to break out in absolute laughter at the sight of the proud guard captain as he absorbed what must have come as a total shock to him.

The shock of seeing the fearsome Hookhand playing Mozart had barely wore off before the happy laughter of the court children wafted in from the rear of the conservatory. The source of their laughter? A mime, of all things; but not just any mime!

"That would be Ulf, Charles." Mortimer replied to the unasked question of Charles.

"But, but, but…" Charles stuttered yet again as he not so calmly absorbed another shock.

"Cupcake, sir?" Attila politely asked as he held a fine silver platter before Charles.

"Why yes, that would be..." Charles began, his words dying in his throat as he took in yet another shock.

"I can see you are having issues, yes?" Mortimer kindly asked.

"That would be an understatement!" Charles replied as he gently rubbed his temples yet again as his headache came roaring back with a new vengeance.

"How about we let them tell you how they came to be here?"

"I guess so…"

"Hook Hand, could you spare a little time and describe to the captain here how you came to be, well, here?"

Hook Hand, his new hook gleaming in the light of the sun streaming through the tall windows of the conservatory, gestured for all to gather around the piano.

"You see, captain, it was a normal day for us at the Snuggly Duckling. The entire band was there, acting all tough and whatnot when low and behold who should enter but Flynn Rider with some young woman with long blonde hair in tow. Needless to say, we were quite shocked at the brashness of Rider. We did not realize that he was attempting to scare the young woman into surrendering her dream of seeing the floating lights."

"Floating lights? You mean the lanterns set out for the Lost Princess?"

"Yes, the lanterns."

"What happened next? I mean you sent out one of your band for the guards, yet by the time they got there something had happened to change your mind. What was it?"

Hook Hand, pausing for a moment as the other thugs chuckled, simply stated, "SHE happened."

"She happened? You mean the Lost Princess?"

"Why yes. Just as I was about to split Rider in half, she wallops me with this frying pan…"

"…so that is where THAT came from!" Charles muttered.

"As I stood there, taking in the sight of this brave young woman, the one who showed no fear, she asked me the question that was to change my life; no, all of our lives, in more ways than one."

"And, what was it?"

"Haven't any of you ever had a dream?" The Crown Princess asked as she came into the room with her mother, the queen.

"Your highness!" The entire room exclaimed as they took in the unexpected entrance of the queen and her daughter and bowed as one to the queen and her daughter.

"Hook Hand, if you please…" Rapunzel said as she went to stand behind Hook Hand.

Hook Hand smiled at her as he began to sing and play. "It would be my pleasure…

**Hook Hand Thug:**  
>I'm malicious, mean and scary<br>My sneer could curdle dairy  
>And violence-wise, my hands are not the cleanest<br>But despite my evil look  
>And my temper, and my hook<br>I've always yearned to be a concert pianist

Can'tcha see me on the stage performin' Mozart?  
>Tickling the ivories 'til they gleam?<br>Yep, I'd rather be called deadly  
>For my killer show-tune medley<br>Thank you!

'Cause way down deep inside  
>I've got a dream.<p>

**The other Thugs present in the Conservatory: **  
>He's got a dream!<br>He's got a dream!

**Hook Hand Thug: **  
>See, I ain't as cruel and vicious as I seem!<br>Though I do like breaking femurs  
>You can count me with the dreamers<br>Like everybody else  
>I've got a dream!<p>

**Big Nose Thug (who the captain had not noticed as he was busy flirting with his new true love):**  
>I've got scars and lumps and bruises<br>Plus something here that oozes  
>And let's not even mention my complexion<br>But despite my extra toes  
>And my goiter, and my nose<br>I really want to make a love connection

Can't you see me with a special little lady  
>Rowin' in a rowboat down the stream?<br>Though I'm one disgusting blighter  
>I'm a lover, not a fighter-<br>'Cause way down deep inside  
>I've got a dream<br>I've got a dream!

**Thug Chorus: **  
>He's got a dream!<p>

**Big Nose Thug, his arm around his girlfriend:**  
>I've got a dream!<p>

**Thug Chorus: **  
>He's got a dream!<p>

**Big Nose Thug: **  
>And I know one day romance will reign supreme!<br>Though my face leaves people screaming  
>There's a child behind it, dreaming-<br>Like everybody else  
>I've got a dream<p>

**Thug Chorus:**  
>Tor would like to quit and be a florist<br>Gunther does interior design  
>Ulf is into mime<br>Attila's cupcakes are sublime  
>Bruiser knits<br>Killer sews  
>Fang does little puppet shows<p>

**Hook Hand Thug: **  
>And Vladimir collects ceramic unicorns!<p>

**Rapunzel: **  
>I've got a dream!<p>

**Thug Chorus: **  
>She's got a dream!<p>

**Rapunzel: **  
>I've got a dream!<p>

**Thug Chorus: **  
>She's got a dream!<p>

**Rapunzel: **  
>I just want to see the floating<br>Lanterns gleam!

**Thug Chorus: **  
>Yeahh!<p>

**Rapunzel: **  
>And with every passing hour<br>I'm so glad I left my tower-  
>Like all you lovely folks<br>I've got a dream!

**Thug Chorus: **  
>She's got a dream!<br>He's got a dream!  
>They've got a dream!<br>We've got a dream!  
>So our diff 'rences ain't really that extreme!<br>We're one big team...!  
>Call us brutal-<br>Sick-

**Hook Hand Thug: **  
>Sadistic-<p>

**Big Nose Thug: **  
>And grotesquely optimistic<p>

**Thug Chorus: **  
>Cause way down deep inside<br>We've got a dream!

**Hook Hand Thug: **  
>I've got a dream!<p>

**Big Nose Thug: **  
>I've got a dream!<p>

**Thug Chorus: **  
>I've got a dream!<br>I've got a dream!  
>I've got a dream!<p>

**Rapunzel: **  
>I've got a dream!<p>

**All: **  
>Yes way down deep inside,<br>I've got a dream!  
>Yeahh!<p>

Rapunzel, just as she had done a few days earlier, gently kissed the blushing Hook Hand on his cheek.

"Thank you, Hook Hand. Your playing is absolutely wonderful!" The queen replied.

The impromptu audience broke into boisterous applause as many had not heard the full tale of Rapunzel's run in with the Thugs or how she had so completely changed them for the better.

Mortimer, seeing a look of understanding upon the proud features of the captain, and appreciative of the perfect timing of the crown princess' arrival, kindly stated, "Charles, I do believe that it is time for you to hear from Crown Princess Rapunzel, herself."

Charles nodded, his headache slowly ebbing as the herbs in the tea finally overwhelmed the pain.

"Yes, I do believe it is time for you to hear from me!"

**A/N #4: Please review! THANK YOU! **


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